Trip Planning - Guerrilla Style

Four tips to get you on the road; sharper, lighter and faster

I will bet you have seen, at some point in your travels or even at home, weary backpackers stumbling along with huge packs on their backs, and possibly at times,  large daypacks on the front too. Balanced like an unsteady turtle, ready to fall over and lie incapable on the ground, these poor folk need some help.

I am not suggesting you help to carry their luggage, but relieve them of some, in the nicest possible way of course.

I am guilty myself sometimes of over-packing the case or worrying about excess baggage costs, taking too many shoes or guidebooks. More weight generally means more stress and more bags, more to lose although luggage is just one of the items to cut back on.

A good holiday or adventure trip needs proper planning.  That doesn’t mean we throw everything we could possibly need in our bags or take all the credit cards we have. If several countries are involved, the guidebooks alone can weigh a ton and what about medicines and toiletries? The list goes on and on. I have put together a few ideas and tips to trim at least some of the fat from our burden and hopefully allow more time and energy to enjoy the well earned vacation.

1. Bags, backpacks and steamer trunks.

A stock standard 65 lt travel backpack

If you buy a big bag you will fill it! Trust me on this.  I have struggled with large cases all over the world, mostly out of necessity but sometimes out of stupidity. The luggage you take should be suitable for the type of trip you intend to make,  splash proof is great for both rainy seasons and water-based travel, whereas more sturdy packs are better for desert and rough terrain. The duration of the trip makes little difference save for a weekend excursion.  A pack that will carry enough for a week is equally suitable for a six months vagabond. Whichever you choose, go for the smallest you think you can get away with and then buy the next size down!

In reality, we can wash our underwear every night, buy cheap tee shirts from markets where necessary and get away with two pair of footwear. The less you have, the freer you become and after a while, unless you are fashion conscious, it becomes a trivial matter to have a very minimal wardrobe. Great textiles exist nowadays that facilitate quick drying and odour control as well as being extremely light, these make packing a doddle and zip locking a shirt and lightweight trousers means you are ready for the ball!

2. Money, Money, Money.

There are many alternatives to carrying cold hard cash

With the Eurozone extending ever eastwards, it has become a lot easier to avoid exchange rate commission charges, however paying cash all the time can mean carrying way too much of the stuff. If you are lucky enough to have plastic that doesn’t carry a commission charge when abroad, then all is good.  For the rest of you, it can be painful.

One alternative is to carry a pre paid cash card with one of the major payment entities, Mastercard or Visa. Some of these providers may charge to load a card or even to open an account.  Others, such as FairFx in the UK, do not. Often the rates for exchange can be very favourable indeed. I personally have a Euro card and a US Dollar card funded from my UK account, and if I am paying in these currencies then no further charges are made. It is possible to have more than one card, and if one is stolen or lost, you can transfer the balance immediately to the alternate card.  If this is kept separately, then much anguish can be avoided.

3. Gadgets and gizmos.

My faithful Netbook - small light and very portable

As a writer and tech guy, I have to carry quite a bit of kit with me and frankly it can take up nearly a quarter of my baggage weight. On recent travels I have noticed a couple of things.  In Central America, I came across many travellers carrying portable computers, some were pretty hefty and many were Macs, whereas in Asia I found very few were toting laptops at all.

I always travel with a Netbook.  The size allows it to be placed neatly into a small shoulder bag or even a large handbag, and with the more recent models, processing power and memory are no longer issues. Nearly every hostel I have stayed in over the last year has offered free Wi-Fi and that is a big money and timesaver when you are on the road and need to stay in touch.

Mobile phones are great tools allowing you to call ahead to hotels or negotiate travel arrangements.  The sting is in the charges. A great way around this is to purchase a second hand mobile phone off of eBay or similar, unlocked for any Sim card is best, but there are many online websites that can do that for you.  Then buy and insert a card for the country you are in. The majority of well travelled countries offer pre pay Sim cards and unlike the system in the USA, you do not have to pay when family call!

4. Everyday essentials.

There are so many reasons why you don't need to lugg around guidebooks anymore

I am sure that there are still holidaymakers taking tins of food from home in their luggage, and I know for certain that Vegemite is smuggled around the world at the bottom of backpacks.  We get hung up over some items but actually they are pretty easy to come by, although more often than not there is a price to pay for home comforts.

Some over the counter medicines can be expensive at home and, although it is comforting to have them, many if not all countries you are going to travel to, with some notable exceptions, will have them in stock. In short, if you are travelling to a well known destination the local market knows what you want, they have shelves full of the stuff. Carry essential prescription medicines of course, but forego the shampoo, conditioner, hairdryers, deodorants, sun creams and massage oils.

Finally, guidebooks, if we need them at all that is.  Last year I wrote an article on the subject here on Travel Generation – 3 Reasons to Throw Away Your Guidebook.  <link to http://travelgeneration.com/3-reasons-to-throw-away-your-guide-book/ >  One good tip is to use the Netbook you have so cleverly bought online to do most of the research and get up to date information for your destinations. Forums and blogs can provide far more relevant and useful stuff than any three year old guidebook!

If you can manage a few of these tips you will have saved money and stress on baggage allowances, eased your paranoia over credit card loss, protected a heap of trees, kept in touch with Grandma and helped the local economy. Remember, less is more...happy travels.

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